Chelsea Manning, Serving Time For Wikileaks Espionage, Freed From Prison As Expected

Chelsea Manning, the soldier serving time for leaking thousands of diplomatic cables and military files to Wikileaks, has been released from prison Wednesday morning after serving seven years of a 35-year sentence. A U.S. Army spokesperson confirmed Manning's release to the BBC and other media outlets. Manning, who was born Bradley Manning, had been housed in Fort Leavenworth military prison in Kansas. Most of what remained of her longer sentence was commuted in January by then-President Barack Obama. Manning was convicted of 20 charges in connection with the leaks, including espionage. She was acquitted of the most serious charge, aiding the enemy. "For the first time, I can see a future for myself as Chelsea," she said in a statement last week ahead of her release. "I can imagine surviving and living as the person who I am and can finally be in the outside world."